客户 (kèhù)

客户 refers to a client or customer in a business context, typically someone who has an ongoing relationship with a company.

Meanings

[noun] client; customer; account

Example Sentences

我们公司有来自全球各地的客户。 Wǒmen gōngsī yǒu láizì quánqiú gèdì de kèhù. Our company has clients from all over the world.

保持良好的客户关系是业务成功的关键。 Bǎochí liánghǎo de kèhù guānxi shì yèwù chénggōng de guānjiàn. Maintaining good client relationships is the key to business success.

他花了一个下午拜访重要客户。 Tā huāle yī gè xiàwǔ bàifǎng zhòngyào kèhù. He spent an afternoon visiting important clients.

这位老客户已经和我们合作了十年。 Zhè wèi lǎo kèhù yǐjīng hé wǒmen hézuòle shí nián. This long-standing client has been working with us for ten years.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
老客户	long-standing/returning client
潜在客户	potential client
客户服务	customer service
维护客户	to maintain client relations

Usage Notes

客户 is more formal than 顾客 and is typically used in B2B (business-to-business) contexts or for professional service clients. 顾客 is used more for retail customers or walk-in buyers. In business Chinese, maintaining 客户关系 (client relationships) is a core concept.

Memory Hook

客 means "guest/visitor" and 户 means "household/door" -- a 客户 is a visitor at your door, i.e., a client who comes to your business.